Since October 7th, Israeli soldiers and civilians have killed 1,000+ Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 241 of them children.
Israeli settlers have burned homes and businesses with the Israeli government’s backing.
Don't believe me? Hear it from a former Israeli soldier.
Of course there should be consequences to the UK's announced trade ban: other states should follow, build on it, restore respect for the rule of law.
May justice be contagious!
And imagine if the US for once took inspiration from others instead of pressuring them into complicity.
I welcome the stance taken by the UK government on Israel’s occupation and its illegality. A much-needed beginning, even if it does not yet reverse all policies undermining Palestinian self-determination.
May the UK government and people hold firm. The pressure will be fierce.
In a difficult and dangerous world, a decade on from Brexit, there is a risk that Britain loses the confidence to lead and stand up for its values.
I’m not prepared to let that happen. It is more important than ever that Britain stands for something.
We have called for years for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but we must recognise that those words are meaningless unless we back them up with action.
For too long, we have been hesitant to act, fearful of being accused of being anti-Israel.
Today we are announcing carefully judged, targeted steps that are not aimed at the Israeli people, but at the unacceptable policies of the current Israeli government.
The suffering of the Palestinian people is a scar on the conscience of the world. Innocent Palestinians, including children, continue to be killed in Gaza. And there is still a humanitarian crisis, with far too little aid getting in.
The scale of destruction is hard to comprehend. More than 70,000 people lie dead - at least 20,000 of them children. Families and communities have been torn apart. Millions displaced. And the population of Gaza is now penned into just one third of the territory.
I know that people across the UK feel very deeply about this issue - and so do I.
Before I became Prime Minister, I said our country’s response had been too slow and simply not good enough. That’s why I committed to changing the government’s approach.
I will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow and the prospect of a two-state solution - the best hope for peace and stability in the region - comes under attack.
More settlements have been approved under the four years of this Israeli government than in the previous 20 years. The UN has reported more than 1,500 incidents of settler violence so far this year, aimed at driving out Palestinians. And the situation is growing worse, fast.
The Israeli government has now approved 104 new settlements since it took office in December 2022, and ahead of the October elections in Israel, it is allowing tenders for the construction of the E1 mega settlement to go ahead. This would cut a swathe through the heart of the West Bank - snuffing out the hope of realising a two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to happen.
That’s why we are announcing a new package of tough measures to put pressure on the Israeli government:
First, we will ban the trade in goods with illegal settlements in Palestine.
Second, we have formally changed the view of the British government to say for the first time that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful - independent of, but in line with, the conclusion of the international court of justice.
And third, we will sanction individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlements. That includes any businesses or investors that take part in the construction of the E1 settlement.
In addition, we are announcing a new package of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.
We are taking these steps because it is the right thing to do.
I have condemned the monstrous terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in the strongest possible terms - and continue to condemn Hamas. However, it does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.
The measures we are taking are about targeting illegal settlements and increasing the pressure on the Israeli government to change course. We are not imposing sanctions on Israel as a whole, which would punish the Israeli people, many of whom disagree with their government’s position.
The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government. And nor is the Jewish community in the UK. Blaming British Jews for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is wrong, plain and simple. And it is antisemitism, plain and simple.
I met the representatives of the Jewish community just last week. I know the fear they live with day by day. My government will stop at nothing to ensure they are safe and to stamp out antisemitism in every part of our society.
The measures we are announcing today are about protecting the only solution that could see the Israeli and Palestinian people living side by side in peace and security - something that people up and down the UK desperately want to see.
The government I lead will keep working with our partners around the world to keep that hope alive.
Oggi che la Spagna - da sola e isolata dall'Italia di Meloni - ha rimpatriato 48mila migranti, Meloni cambia linea e ci parla di risposta europea all'immigrazione, si riscopre più europeista di tutti rendendosi conto dello scempio di ieri. La corte di giornali e tv ora la aiuterà a ribaltare la frittata.
Fino a poche ore fa spargeva fake news e faceva annunci per isolare la Spagna di fronte a una crisi al di là del mare, nel continente africano, che non c'entra nulla con le coste europee, le nostre frontiere e gli accordi di Schengen. Una propaganda utile a nascondere il fallimento italiano su sicurezza, immigrazione, carovita oltre all'imbarazzo per le chat di compagni di partito con prestanome di clan mafiosi.
Ricordate quando Meloni si è ritrovata nell'estate del 2023 con il record di sbarchi a Lampedusa (col suo governo che vanta il boom di oltre 320mila sbarchi)? Allora scrisse una lettera accorata alla Von der Leyen pregandola di venire a Lampedusa e portare il sostegno europeo. La Spagna ci supportò e ci tese la mano in un momento per noi di grande difficoltà. Una emergenza che non era a Ceuta, in Africa. Ma in Italia, in Europa.
Aver isolato e buttato la croce sulla Spagna ieri apre una ferita con un Paese amico.
Un Paese che, posso dirlo da testimone diretto, era al nostro fianco nella battaglia dei 209 miliardi del Pnrr quando volevano darci solo il Mes.
Un Paese che ha fatto battaglie con noi per non essere lasciati da soli dagli Stati nordeuropei e dell’Est nel controllo dell'immigrazione solo perché siamo affacciati sul Mediterraneo.
Un Paese che, è bene ricordarlo, si è attirato molte antipatie per le sue scelte e per aver alzato la voce sul Riarmo Nato, su Gaza. Non a caso, ieri, è subito intervenuto a puntare il dito contro la Spagna anche Trump.
Quando avremo bisogno di fare squadra per fronteggiare l'immigrazione nel Mediterraneo e saremo lasciati soli andremo tutti a bussare a Giorgia Meloni che è rimasta nella sezione di Colle Oppio col megafono in mano, anziché guidare l'Italia e guardare lontano per tutelare i nostri interessi.
Se si guardano i numeri di sbarchi del suo Governo (che fa molto peggio di Spagna e tanti altri) le frontiere potrebbero chiuderle gli altri a noi domani per la sua propaganda di oggi.
@eurovisionfn False information. In the same period last year , wasted love had 10 million. Not half of Bangaranga's streams. Also Bangaranga's numbers are actually not impressive considering it's the televoting winner and the contest's winner at the same time. The numbers this year are low.
@eurovisionfn This site is so out of the Eurovision spirit and it shows.They thrive on controversy. Her stance on Israel is completely irrelevant to the story.They keep bringing politics to the conversation, because they know they only stay relevant through controversy. Eurovision is not this
@Luq84949229 Well have you heard that sometimes less is more? 2014 looks more impressive but its not really coherent. The artist gets lost. From 2023 onwards, the stage is smaller but the overall size and lightings make the performances look so much better on camera. Which is the whole point!
@eurovisionfn Αν κάποιος έχει μια ελάχιστη νοημοσύνη και δει τι άρθρα έχει γράψει για την σαττι τα τελευταία 2 χρόνια, αρκεί για να καταλάβει τι κόμπλεξ έχει ο αρθρογράφος[και ιδρυτής αυτής της (σελίδας;)] με την σαττι. Ποιος νοήμων άνθρωπος τον παίρνει στα σοβαρά πλέον λολ
Thank you @JDVance We are looking forward to see you supporting AFD in Germany and Le Pen in France. Please dont forget to support Fico. Kind regards, The Free World